Tone of Essays - Professional vs. Conversational

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Tone of Essays - Professional vs. Conversational [#permalink]

19 Oct 2004, 10:57

Hi Linda,

Is it more effective in your opinion to write essays in conversational tones or in professional tones? Many of the questions can evoke real emotions if we let them. To what degree is it appropriate to write in a conversational tone?

Thanks.

CEO

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19 Oct 2004, 12:08

Hi,

I would argue that the two styles are far from mutually exclusive- the best writing is often both conversational and professional. The cliche about being yourself is still probably the best advice- at least in part because it is difficult to write convincingly as somebody else. Above all, keep in mind the evaluation of your essay will be highly subjective and individualistic- what some readers might find entertaining others might view as inappropriate and insincere.

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Re: Tone of Essays - Professional vs. Conversational [#permalink]

19 Oct 2004, 16:19

MBACandidate2007 wrote:

It probably depends on the essay. A professional essay about career goals and experiences should be written in a professional tone. But I can easily see an essay about a recreational experience or one of those "creative" essays working well in a more conversational tone.

Whatever you do, however, don't descend into slang or twenty-something-speak, a milder form of the teen-speak that my sixteen-year-old subjects me to daily.

Spell out words fully. (It's "you" not "u" and "for" not "4.") "Like" is a preposition, not a catch-all verb. "Goes" implies movement from one place to another and doesn't mean "says."

I don't think this kind of sloppy perversion of the language is what you're talking about, but just in case...

I'll et off my soap box. I feel better now. :wink:

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Tone of Essays - Professional vs. Conversational

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Tone of Essays - Professional vs. Conversational

Tone of Essays - Professional vs. Conversational

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